Takes One To Know One
by SamanthaMae
Summary: What's the differences between being an Ishida, and not being an Ishida? TK is about to find out while living with his brother. Is it true that he has a little Yamato in him?
1. New House

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Digimon, and I'm not too sure who does…

A/N: Over this Christmas break, I re-wrote this story because I wasn't too pleased with the way it was before. And now I looked it over for typos, and currently, I'm working on chapter two. Please review, it'll totally make my day!

By the why, TK is in grade ten. Yamato graduated already. You do the rest of the math.

_**Chapter One: New House**_

I couldn't believe my new family. I mean, spending a summer with Matt and my dad was suppose to be really cool. Instead, I found out they were never home. Matt was too busy with his band, and I guess my dad had a lot of work to do. Living with my mom was so different. We played cards and games with each other all the time. This was so weird to me.

Kari and I spent a lot of time hanging out at my new house. Although no one was home made me feel weird, at the same time it was cool.

Thinking about my upcoming second year in high school made me nervous. Time was going by too fast, and the year before as I watched my brother's graduation, I realized that would soon be me. Matt's band did a performance, and Tai, an old friend of mine, did the speech. I don't know how he did it, knowing I could never come close as to talking in front of that many people. I could imagine maybe Davis doing it someday. But, my brother _did _make out with Sora on stage, does that count?

I sat on the couch of my new house, wondering what time Matt would come home; if he was going to. Suddenly, a memory of the night before flashed through my mind.

"TK?" Matt cried as he opened the apartment door.

I opened my eyes from sleeping. I got out of bed and realized it was two in the morning.

"TK!" I heard again.

I came out of the room, and looked at my brother with disgust. His eyes were red, and he couldn't walk straight.

"Hey, man!" he said, clawing his hand onto my shoulder. "Wow, what a great show I did. Girls were-"

"Matt, are you drunk?" I accused, smelling alcohol off of him.

"No way," he replied, but I didn't believe him. "I would never - well - yeah, I drank a little."

My typical party brother. Ever since I started living with him, I noticed he's been doing strange things I would never do. I guess I mom taught me everything to do, and just how to do it. Matt was just a every-man-for-himself guy. I couldn't believe how many times I heard him complain about how Sora was, about how he claims Tai is gay, or something along those lines.

"Uh…where did you get that much beer? You're under age, aren't you?"

Matt laughed. "When you're in a rock band, it isn't hard. Once you're out of high school, you'll completely understand."

Returning to the thought of my presents, I heard someone come in the door. Curious as to why Matt came home so early, I walked to the Kitchen and noticed Sora looking around.

"TK? What are you doing here?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"I'm staying here for the summer," I replied. "Are you looking for Matt?"

She nodded. "I guess he isn't here…he never is anymore." then she groaned. "I thought I told him to call my cell phone tonight. Stupid Matt."

The telephone rang, which startled us both.

"Hey, TK," a voice I didn't recognize said. "Matt wouldn't happen to be there, is he?"

"Oh, hey Tai-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Sora grabbed the phone from me. "Tai!" she cried. "Come to Matt's right now…oh, c'mon…alright, bye." she smiled. "He'll be here in a few minutes."

As she predicted, Tai came into the door not long after. "Hey," he greeted smiling.

"Do you know where the hell Matt is?" Sora snapped.

Tai rolled his eyes. "Uh, no. If I did, I wouldn't have called looking for him, now would I?"

Sora gave him a playful push. "Shut up," she moaned. "He's never here anymore. I _told_ him to call my cell phone, but I guess he forgot. I tried calling his, and it's turned off. Or dead. Ugh, I wouldn't be surprised if he was with another girl."

I suddenly found myself day dreaming…about Tai's younger sister.

Hikari Yagami. How could I explain her? I had known her for years. When we went to the Digital World together, we've saved each other's lives multiple times. She was like a sister to me, until we went to the Digital World again and met Davis, some guy with a big crush on her. Okay, I panicked. That's when I realized I liked her as not-so-much of a sister.

"Wait, are you going to that party, TK?" Sora broke my concentration.

"Huh? What? What party?"

"The one of Friday night," Tai answered. "I'm pretty sure Matt will be there. And Kari. And Davis. And…well…everyone."

I thought about it for a minute. Right before I was about to say no, the thought crossed my mind that Kari was going to be there. "For sure!" I replied, then regretted it.

The biggest step to get used to when you go from Middle School and High School was that parties were different. It's like one day playing Musical Chairs, and playing Spin The Bottle the next. I had gone to one party with Yolei and Davis and didn't like it. At all. There were too many drinking idiots - including my brother - that were totally ruining it.

"Hm, I don't know, Tai," Sora smiled. "I think it would be un-cool to go to a high school party. Don't you?"

Tai chuckled. "Yeah, defiantly."

I smiled, then realized what I had gotten myself into. A high school party? T.K., the last thing you want yourself doing is drinking, I told myself. Just stay there…no drinking at all, what-so-ever.

---------------------

The next day, my mother called me.

"Takeru!" she cried. "I miss you so much!"

"Mom," I said, a little embarrassed. "I just saw you last week. I'll come to visit you tomorrow, I promise."

Although it was only the phone, I could feel that my mother was smiling.

"I love you," she told me.

"I love you, too."

Unfortunately, my older brother came in at the right moment.

"Who's your girlfriend, TK?" he teased, running over to harass me.

I hung up the phone and sighed. "It was our mother," I replied dully. "Where were you last night?"

"I had a show," he snapped, as if I was suppose to know. "So, I heard you're going to the party tomorrow."

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

He laughed. "Oh, have fun."

I sighed. Matt had been making me a little mad. I just hated how he came home late every night, partying with girls and band mates. Him and his popularity with everyone. Was I jealous? Maybe a little.

A knock on the door made Matt finally leave me alone. "Oh, hey, Kari." I heard him say.

The park! I remembered. I told Kari I'd take her to the park today.

"Kari! I'll be there in a second!" I called, searching for my hat. Where is it? I thought. I saw my hat lay on the couch, then I snatched it. "I'll be back in a bit," I told Matt.

He nodded.

Kari and I walked down the sidewalk.

"I'm really excited for the party." she commented, smiling. "This is my first one this year. I'm kind of nervous, but you know."

"Well, there's gunna be a lot of people we know there. Pretty much everyone. So, it won't be too bad." I just hope my brother will realize he can't drink in front of me there, I angrily thought.

"You know what, T.K.?" Kari muttered. "I think I should go home. I can feel my forehead over heating, and I want to be well for the party. But, hey, I'll see you Friday night!"

"Wait, I'll walk you home." I offered.

She smiled. "You're such a gentleman."

It normally takes a while to walk from Matt's to Kari's, but it didn't seem too long for me. We talked about where we'll meet before the party, and what we'd do there.

Once arriving at her apartment, I decided to visit my mom. She'll be so excited to see me! I thought. I came upon my apartment door, and knocked loudly. No answer. I tried opening the door. (after all, it was my house.) However, it was locked. She's out, I realized.

---------------------

Of course, Friday night came way too fast. I met Kari on a bench near her apartment, and we began walking to Sora's, the location of the party.

Man, was it ever crowded. There was defiantly over two hundred people. My thoughts rolled around from where my brother was, to why so many people were already drunk at six o'clock.

"TK!" Davis yelled. "Kari!"

I walked over to Davis, then suddenly realized I lost Kari.

I asked Davis where she went, and he told me he saw her go off with Sora. That made me feel a little better.

About an hour later, a game of Spin The Bottle broke out on the living room. I wasn't going to play, but then I realized there were so many people, that the chance of me being picked was very slim. The game didn't last long, so Davis and I continued hanging out.

"I can't believe you didn't drink anything yet," he told me. Yes, he drank a little.

"Well, I'm not really into the whole drinking thing." I replied quietly.

"Dude, come on," he urged. "The party isn't gunna last all night! Ya' gotta live for the moment, TK I mean, Matt and Tai are doing it. How bad can it be?"

He was right. In high school, it was almost impossible to go through a party without drinking. So, I did what any "tough" guy would do; I grabbed some alcohol and drank.

At first, I only drank a little. But then I thought, Hey! What's the worst that could happen? So, I drank a little more. Then a little more.

Before I knew it, Davis and I were separated. I was trying to find someone I knew, when I saw Tai stare at me with disbelief. "TK? Are you…"

Without hesitation, I replied, "No."

"TK, let's go home now." I heard a girl tell me.

I sharply turned around and saw Kari. Somehow, her face turned disappointed. "TK! You didn't drink, did you?"

"Maybe a little," I said, looking at my feet. "But I'm defiantly **not** drunk…"

Kari's expression turned angry. "What do you think you doing?!" she snapped at me. She hesitated. "I can't…I can't even believe you're doing this. I really can't, TK. What happened to you tonight, anyway?"

She continued yelling as I dazed off, falling lightly onto the floor.

---------------------

As you can tell, the party didn't go too well. Saturday didn't, either. I woke up with my head thudding loudly.

I didn't come out of my bedroom until at least noon. Matt was home, and he was making breakfast.

"Good morning," he greeted. "How was your night last night?"

I glared at him. In my bedroom, I had realized what an idiot I was being to Kari. How could I have been drinking so much? I wondered.

The ringing from the telephone startled me.

Matt quickly answered the phone. "Hello? Oh, hey, Tai. Yeah…I know…oh, that…" he turned to me. "Go, TK," he demanded. I sighed and walked to the bathroom.

"What?!" I heard Matt shriek. "No, no, no, I remember. Tai, we can't tell anyone! Oh, c'mon, we were just…alright, I'm making breakfast…if you want…well then, you don't know what you'll be missing! Okay, bye."

Curious, I re-entered the kitchen. "What was that about?"

Matt paused. "You heard?" However, he didn't wait for an answer. "Well, Tai and I got really drunk at Sora's party. So, when we were walking back here…we kind of…I don't know…kissed…and that's it."

I couldn't find anything to say. After all, I knew my brother wasn't gay. He was dating Sora, and…wait…he cheated on Sora! With his best friend! This can't be good…

"How could you do that to Sora, Matt?"

He shrugged. "But, hey, don't go telling anyone."

"If it makes you feel better," I smiled. "Last night at that party, I got so drunk that Kari almost swore at me."

Matt laughed. "You really are my brother, aren't you?" he joked.

As soon as Matt sat down at the table, the telephone rang again. He groaned and answered it.

"I thought we didn't have it today. Well, I can't help it. No way, I'm spending the day with TK for once…no way, man, I'm too tired." I knew that it had to be one of his band mates. "We **_just_** practised yesterday, though. Hey, don't…listen to me! Whatever!"

And with that, he slammed the phone down.

Matt then turned around and smiled. But then, as I predicted, the phone rang again.

"Hello?" Matt almost shouted. "Who told you that?…listen, I don't have time to argue about this…okay, bye."

"Who was that?" I curiously asked.

"Sora,"

I suddenly felt a pit in my stomach. "Oh,"

Of course, the ringing started again. Without saying a word, Matt stood up and un-plugged the telephone. He then sat down, smiling.

"It's my day off," he explained. "Everyone calls for me on Saturdays."

I laughed until a noise caught me completely by surprise. The door opened, and my father came in. He seemed to be in a hurry.

"T.K.," he said breathlessly. "What is your mother's favourite kind of flower?"

"Uh…she likes roses…" I awkwardly replied.

He held up a handful of tulips and sighed. He tossed them to Matt and walked into the TV room. "We're going out to lunch together," he explained. "I guess I'll just buy some roses. See you two later."

And with that, he walked out the door.

"Are you even going to tell Sora about you and Tai?" I asked, poking my scrambled eggs with a fork.

He smirked. "Why would I?"

I shrugged. He really doesn't want to talk about this, I thought. Is it possible that him and Tai have had that same situation happen more than once before?

No way.

This was Yamato. My brother. It couldn't be true.

"Well, I guess she deserves to know…" I started. "You can't just hide this from her forever. It's one of those things that doesn't mean-"

"Shut up, TK," he demanded quietly.

I nodded, hurt. I could almost see that coming. I took myself into my bedroom, where I swallowed up in my sorrow. I wanted to go home, I missed my mother, and my best friend hated me. What a world…

In addition, it wasn't like my brother was doing anything to help. Maybe I was over reacting. Maybe I was too emotional at the moment to think about the real situation. Maybe I didn't want to know the real situation, but wanted to know a made up one.

Maybe I **_was _**being an idiot.

I could hear Matt mutter something, but couldn't understand it. I also heard numbers of the telephone being dialled.

Does he feel bad at all? I wondered. Does he know why I'm in here all alone?

He chatted away as I finally stepped outside my room. I walked out the door, then in the hallway, I heard him talking.

"I don't care about what you think, Tai," he protested, sighing. "I'm being a bad brother. Like I always have. I don't even think TK knows the real me."

Boy, was he right.

I decided to go for a walk. I could use fresh air.

Maybe the park, I thought.

Thoughts raced around my head. Why was Kari so mad at me for a little thing I did last night? Her brother was doing the same thing, so was she mad at him, too?

Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. Everything was a blur, and I couldn't exactly understand it all. It was the first time in my life that I had felt alone; completely alone. In my mind, I was so lost.

The park was empty, but that didn't bother me too much. I took a swing and sat there, feeling sorry for myself. My mother had taught me that it wasn't a good habit to get into.

I let out a long sigh and watched a smoke-like feature come out of my mouth. It was quite a cold evening for the beginning of summer. Wait a minute, it's the evening? I thought. Wow, I must have been here for hours.

As if I wasn't drowned enough in my misery, I noticed Kari walking on the sidewalk. It wasn't really the fact that I had seen her, it was the fact that she was with Davis, talking and laughing with him.

Of course, they both started walking towards me, about to start conversation. I wasn't ready; I didn't need to know what they would say.

"Hey, dude," Davis said.

"Hi,"

Kari didn't say anything.

"What are you doing all alone?" Davis asked me. "Come on, let's all get pizza, ice cream…or…something!"

I smiled, though was still confused. Why was Kari hanging out him, and acting so close to him, as if she…

"I think I should head home," Kari finally muttered.

"Alright," Davis began walking beside her, but Kari stopped him.

"I feel a fever coming, so I guess I better be alone."

If you didn't realize, that was Kari's excuse to get out of anything. It annoyed me sometimes, to be completely honest.

Davis took a swing beside me, and smiled. "You seem sad,"

No duh, I thought bitterly. "I had a long day." I answered, but refused to say anything else.

He started swinging higher, while I stood still, using the swing as more of a chair than anything.

"Do you wanna hang out for the rest of the night?" Davis offered. "Ken and I are hanging out, so you can come with us. If you want."

I could have defiantly use a night with some other people, but at that moment I wanted to be alone. "No, thanks," I told him. "Maybe tomorrow night."

---------------------

Although I wanted to, I didn't bother asking Davis why he was with Kari that night. She even seemed to have enjoyed spending time with him, and wanted away as soon as she noticed I was at the park.

It sickened me. It really did.

I arrived back at the apartment, expecting Matt to be home. Of course, he wasn't. I found myself panicking when I realized I didn't even have a key to open the door. "Oh, come on." I muttered. What am I suppose to do now? I thought.

"TK!" Tai cried.

I turned around and felt relieved. "Hey, Tai."

"What's up?" he asked, making conversation. He then reached into his pocket and grabbed a key. "I hope you don't mind, but Matt said I can stay here for the night-"

"Uh…Tai, you have a key to my apartment?" I reacted, feeling uneasy.

"Yeah, Matt gave it to me, like, three years ago." he unlocked the door and held it open for me. "So, I guess it's just me and you tonight. Matt isn't coming home from his concert until four in the morning."

Maybe some would think of it as awkward, but I had a blast with Tai. He really was a great guy, and was a lot of fun to be with. We stayed up all night just playing Clue, the bored game, and watching weird movies.

After I won the classic game - for the fifth time - I couldn't help but wonder: could I get any information about last night from Tai?

"I know what happened after the party," I blurted out, praying that I wouldn't make a complete idiot of myself.

"…you mean with Davis and Kari?" he responded, though seemed to not care much.

"No, with you and my - wait - **_what_**?!"

"You know about me and Matt?"

"What happened with Davis and Kari?" I asked suspiciously, as I noticed that Tai now regretted saying it.

"Well, they've just been hanging out a lot. So, at the party Kari told him that she has a crush on him. It's no big deal, she-"

I frowned, looking at my feet. How could she **_do _**that****to me? I knew she was just hanging out with him to make me feel bad. It was so stupid, though…he was just as drunk as I was at the party.

"TK, how do you know about your brother and me?"

"He told me," I answered, but kept my mind on something else.

Neither of us said anything for a while. We continued watching TV in an uncomfortable silence. Suddenly, he broke it.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know," I replied. I didn't want to tell him how hurt I actually was.

Tai's expression lightened. "Just like Sora…" he muttered under his breath. It was as if he was reading my mind.

I gave a confused look as he took a deep breath. "You may know," he started. "That I used to like Sora. I mean, we played soccer together since we were seven. I guess everyone thought we should hook up, when suddenly, Matt decided he liked her. I didn't really care, until I found out she liked him."

"So, you're saying Kari and Davis belong together?" I asked, with a little doubt in my voice.

"No, not really. I mean, who knows what they'll plan to do. To be honest, I don't think they'll end up together."

I felt a little better, but somehow still had "Hopeless" written on my forehead.

"Have you noticed that Matt handles situations totally different than you?" Tai asked me, in a completely random time.

"Yeah,"

"It's weird," he shook his head. "Sometimes I cannot believe you guys have the same parents. It's like, he's the asshole and you're the sweetheart. And then there's other times where I think your last name was meant to be Ishida."

"Huh?"

"Like at the party," Tai gave a laugh. "When I saw you drunk, I totally saw Yamato in you. And when Kari came home and complained about how mad she was at you, if felt like I was talking to Sora about Matt."

"Sora complains about Matt?" Whoa, I didn't know about that!

"All the time," he answered. "It's kind of annoying sometimes."

I waited a few minutes before I said, "When do you think Kari will forgive me?"

"I'm not completely sure," he replied. "My sister isn't the one who would hold a grudge this long against someone - especially you. TK, I think it's my turn to ask a question…"

"What?"

"Did Matt say anything else about…you know-"

The door opening startled us. Immediately, Tai stopped talking, which made me confused. Was Tai going to ask me about Matt? Did my brother lead him on by kissing him? Did this mean more than I thought it did?

"Hey guys," Matt came into the living room.

Silence.

Matt scratched his head. "Am I missing something here?"

---------------------

A/N: Hehehe, oh Yamato...so stupid...they were not just talking about you or anything...anyway, review it!


	2. New Friends

A/N: Just a warning, but chapter one took a very, very long time to write. I mean, a 3, 000 word chapter with a lot of action…I hope to have the same for two. Sorry for the long update . But, anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**_Chapter Two: New Friends_**

I went a week without talking to Kari. A _week_. A week and a half without seeing her. It was driving me crazy of how mad she was at me. I mean, I would understand if it was just for a day or two. But over a _week_? She must have been going crazy.

It wasn't like Matt was helping out any. He was barely even home, due to how many parties he attended that week.

On the fourteenth of July, I decided to go for a big, long walk alone. That's when my world went upside-down. Kari was on a bench, cuddling with Davis.

"Oh, hey, KT!" Davis cried.

"It's TK," I muttered through gritted teeth.

Kari looked at me oddly. Why couldn't she just get _over_ it?

"What's up, man?" he asked me, offering me to take a seat beside him. I simply shook my head while thinking, _No thanks…I'd rather kill myself._

"Not much. Just out for a walk." I explained, trying to get away. No such luck.

"C'mon!" Davis said, wearing a slight smile. "We haven't talked in like forever. We need to catch up, you know? I know we've talked but haven't really hung out."

"Hmm…yeah…"

"So when you free?"

"Uh, I don't know. I'll give you a call. But I gotta go." I turned to Kari and snapped, "Nice to see you, too, Kari."

------------------

I was heading towards a gas station to buy some water. I walked for about three hours after I ran into Kari and Davis. Was that ever awkward… However, it wasn't as awkward as what happened to me inside the gas station.

I was grabbing a water bottle and was going to pay for it when someone shouted,

"Ishida!"

I turned around and saw three people, two boys and a girl, look at me with confusion.

The girl had blond hair with blue eyes, where short jean shorts and a low-cut tank top. Her hair was straight, but had a little bit of curls in it. I guess she was good-looking. One of the guys was tall, had dark brown hair and wore a tee-shirt with baggy jeans. His eyes were brown, and he had a little bit of facial hair. The other guy had dirt blond hair with green eyes, he was kind of short, probably five-foot-four.

"Oh, sorry." the girl said to me, embarrassed. "We thought you were…someone else."

"You mean Yamato?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh my God," she muttered. "You're his brother, aren't you?"

I studied her for a moment. She was smiling. "Yeah," I replied. "I am…how did you know?"

"When you made that face, you looked exactly like Ishida. Anyway…I haven't seen Matt in, like, a year. Have you guys?" she turned to her friends, and they shook their heads.

"How is ol' Yamato?" one of the guys asked me.

"Have some manners!" the girl shouted, hitting his stomach hard. She then smiled at me. "I'm Takara, but call me Karee. This is Ryo," she pointed at the guy with dark hair, "call him Ry. And this," she pointed to the one with dirty blond hair, "is Isamu, but call him Sam. What's your name?"

"Takeru," I smiled. "But call me TK."

"TK?" Sam made a weird face.

"Dude," Ry started, "let's just call him Ishida."

I laughed softly. "Actually, my last name isn't Ishida. It's -"

"Then how come you're Matt's brother?" Karee wondered, now looked rather confused.

"Well, our parents are divorced, so…my mom and I switched names."

"So, you and your mom don't live with Yamato?" questioned Sam, who was scratching his head.

"No. Well, I'm living with him and our dad for the Summer."

"Cool." Karee smiled. "Listen, you seem like a sweet kid. And, since you're Matt's bro, I'll say that you're cool, too. Give us your number, will yea?"

I nodded slowly. I wrote it down on a paper awkwardly, wondering why these people were even talking to me.

"Man, I need to go have a smoke," Ry complained.

Smoke? I thought, my eyes widening. As in _cigarette_ smoke?

"Ry, relax!" Karee complained, then turned to me. "Anyway, we'll give you a call sometime this week, okay?"

"Sure, no problem." I muttered, watching the three run out of the door.

I also saw Sam whisper something into Karee's ear, which made her look at him. "No way! Fuck you!"

Oh boy, I thought, running my fingers through my hair. I just made friends with people who used to hang out with Matt…this can't be good.

------------------

When I came home, Matt was actually there making some supper. Boy, did it ever smell good. "Want some steak?" he asked me, which made my day completely.

"God, yes." I sat on the couch. "I met some of your friends today."

"Oh yeah?" he smirked, placing a piece of steak on a plate. "Who?"

"Karee, Sam and Ry."

He gazed at me for a long moment. "Takara, Isamu, and Ryo? Man, they're messed."

"Well, they like me."

"Really? Weird."

"Huh? Why weird?"

"Just that they don't like much people." he poured Coca-cola into a glass for me. "And since they're older than you, I didn't think they'd like you. No offence, just that they're really messed."

"What do you mean, _really messed_?"

"They're just…I don't know." I sat at the table with him. "You'd have to hang out with them to understand what I'm talking about. Are you chilling with them or something?"

"I gave them my cell number, and Karee said she'd call me this week."

He shrugged. "They're fun to hang out with. Just don't do anything stupid."

I paused. "Stupid?"

"Yeah. Like smoke or drink."

They smoke and drink? I thought, getting a little nervous. Oh, God, TK…what are you getting yourself into?

------------------

On July 16th, Karee called me. Her voice sounded cheerful.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing," I replied, laying back in my bed. "Why? What's up?"

"Well," she laughed slightly. "Sam, Ry and me are going to a party tonight, and were wondering if you wanted to come with us. There's gonna be a lot of people there, so it should be fun."

"Uh - yeah, sure. I don't think I have a ride."

"Ah, don't worry about it. Ry will come pick you up with Sam."

"Oh…okay."

"Seeya soon, cutie!"

She hung up, leaving me confused. _What_ did she just call me?

Shortly after, Ry and Sam came by, honking the horn. I rushed out the door, locked it, then hopped into the backseat. I sheepishly smiled. I attend to be really nervous when I hang out with people I don't know well. I guess I just wanted to make a good first impression.

" 'sup, Ishida?" Ry greeted, backing up the car.

Sam smirked. "Ry, we've been over this. It's TK, not Ishida. That's not even his last name."

"Whatever."

"Excited for the party?" Sam asked me, smiling.

"Hmm…kinda."

"Only kinda?"

"I haven't had good experiences with parties…"

"Is that so?" asked Ry, making a turn. "Why? What happened?"

"Well, just this girl I like. She didn't approve of me drinking until I passed out. She won't talk to me anymore, and she's hooking up with someone I hate, just to piss me off."

Sam smirked. "Girls,"

"Tell me about it!" I cried, coming closer to the front seats. "They say they want one thing, and one mistake, they're gone!"

"The only girl that's not like that is Karee." Ry put in.

"Are you kidding?" I asked, remembered our phone conversation. "What do you mean?"

"Karee is always all over everyone," Sam explained, looking at me. "She's a big flirt. And she'll do anything with anyone. By anything, I mean she'll sleep with anyone that's good-looking. Unless she's drunk, then she'll just laze around _anyone_ literally!"

"So, basically…" I shrugged. "She's a slut?"

They both nodded.

"That's why she called me 'cutie' on the phone?"

Then they laughed. I kept looking at them oddly.

"But if she's such a slut," I started, my mind debating whether I should ask or not, "then why are you two such good friends with her?"

"She may be hot, but I wouldn't do anything with her." Sam reported. "We're friends, nothing else. No matter what, I love Karee. She may have slept with all of the guys in high school that checked her out, but still…she's like my little sister."

"I've done stuff with her before," Ry added. "Nothing too extreme. We just kissed. But I feel the same way about her." he stopped at a red light then looked at me. "Anymore questions?"

"Just one."

They both looked at me.

"Why aren't you guys friends with Matt anymore?"

They looked at each other. "Well," Sam shifted his eyes around the car. "It's kinda a long story…"

"I'll tell it," Ry snapped, noticing Sam's hesitation. "Matt and Karee had this…thing. They liked each other, so Matt wanted to hook up with her. They dated, but weren't officially a couple. Everyone could tell that Matt really, _really_ liked Karee, but Karee wasn't as interested. She liked him, just not as much. I heard rumours they went pretty far, but I don't know if they're true or not. Anyway, Karee slept with someone else, and when your brother found out, he was really pissed. So he yelled at her and broke things off. I could tell she was really upset about it, but tried not to let it show." he shook his head. "And now they just…don't talk."

"Wow…" I muttered.

"But you didn't hear it from me."

"Okay." I ran my fingers through my hair.

I caught Sam gazing at me, a strange expression on his face. His eyes were wide and his mouth formed a shape of an _o_. "What?" I asked him, making him break his freaky stare.

"I could have sworn you looked just like Yamato when you did that."

I felt myself blushing as Ry stared at me, too.

Finally, we arrived at the party. It was crowded, but since it was a big house, it wasn't too bad.

Ry and Sam made themselves welcome to the liquor that was there. This time there was no beer; just hardcore liquor. Smirn Off, R-and-R…you name it.

I took a small glass and made sure I wouldn't get carried away. I knew there was going to be alcohol, so I prepared myself for it. I made a plan: I was going to carry around the same glass all night, making it look like I already had myself settled. And might I add, it worked perfectly.

"Hey, TK!" I heard a girl cry. I turned around to find no one other than Karee. I smiled half-heartedly. _You broke my brother's heart?_

"I was waiting for you to come." she smiled, showing her white teeth. "Wanna go walk around?"

"Sure…"

She took my hand, which I didn't panic about, and kept a small conversation with me as we walked. I wasn't sure where she was taking me, but just played it cool anyway.

Then I discovered what Karee was thinking.

She took me to a bedroom and shut the door. I made my way to the bed to lay down. "Ugh…" I muttered. "What a long day."

"Tell me about it," she replied, taking off her sweater, revealing a low-cut tank top. She turned around and smiled sheepishly at me.

I sat up quickly. "Uh…"

"Shh…" she demanded, coming closer to me. She placed one of her knees beside my leg, and the other beside my other leg. She was practically sitting on my lap. I remembered what Ry and Sam were saying about her during the ride to the party.

"Listen, I -"

I was interrupted by her lips pressing against mine. It wasn't very serious until she opened her mouth, making her way into opening mine. Then it became kind of serious. Her tongue danced in my mouth as I sat on the bed, wondering what the hell was going on. Her mouth tasted bad, which made me also wonder how much she had to drink.

Man, I thought, this is _not _the way I pictured my first real kiss.

I pushed her away from me, making her look sad. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" I stood up, grabbing my hair. "What's wrong? What's _wrong_?! What's wrong is that the girl I actually do like won't talk to me because I drank a _little_ bit at a party."

"Oh, baby, I don't care if you drink…"

"And then she goes and starts to date someone she doesn't even care about! Like, what the fuck is that about? Oh God, that's one of the first times I've ever sworn. But still, she only did that to make me mad."

"I would never do that…"

"And you're all over me, as if you have no clue who I am…but you know damn well who I am. I'm Yamato Ishida's brother! You remember him, right? The guy you dated? I can't sleep with you, even if I wanted to!"

"I didn't ask you to, baby…"

"_Would you stop calling me that_?!" I shouted. "I'm only telling you this because you're as drunk as hell and won't remember a word I'm saying."

"I -"

"I'm out of here." I snapped, slamming the door behind me.

While muttered nonsense to myself, I ran into someone I had least expected. "Tai!"

He looked up at me. "TK?"

"Take me home, will you?"

"Uh…yeah, sure." he replied, putting back on his coat. "What's wrong, TK? You seem upset."

------------------

The next morning I was hangover-free, thanks to my plan of not drinking. I jumped out of bed and into the shower, which made me feel better. At least I didn't do anything stupid last night, I thought, like have sex with Karee.

Once coming out of the bathroom, Matt wasn't there. I shrugged and made myself some breakfast.

My cell phone started ringing out of nowhere, which made me jump slightly. I grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Man, it's Sam."

"Oh, hey. What's up?"

"Rough night last night, huh?"

"Uh…I guess."

"I mean, Karee told me what happened last night in that bedroom."

Oh God. She remembered?

"Oh…that…"

"Sorry, man. She did the same thing to Ry."

"Really?" I sat down. "Does she do it to a lot of people?"

"If you would have listened to anything Ry and I told you in the car, then yes, she does."

"Okay…now I'm kind of lost. What did she tell you?"

"That you guys fucked."

My eyes widened. I blinked several times. "Um…what?"

"How drunk were you last night?"

"Wait a minute." I stood up, pacing back and forth. "She told you we had sex? Last night in someone's bedroom? Okay, that didn't happen. She was actually all over me, and I pushed her off of me."

"Hmm…two different stories…"

"Believe me, man!" I cried, becoming stressed. "I was completely sober! I'm surprised she even remembered a bedroom!"

"I've gotta jet, though. Later."

I snapped my cell phone closed, staring at my door. Why did she say that we had sex? Even if it wasn't about Matt, I still wouldn't have. She seemed so dirty kissing me, trying to convince me that she was better than Kari.

Then I thought for a second. Karee told Sam, and probably Ry, so would they spread it around? And would Karee tell anyone else? Would it go around until Matt heard it? Wow, would he ever kill me. Then Tai would hear it…then…

Kari would finish what Matt started.

I'm a dead man.

I sat at the kitchen table when the door opened. Matt entered, giving me a quick smile. "Hey," he greeted, coming into the apartment.

"You were right," I muttered.

"About…?"

"Karee."

"What did I say about her?"

"That she's messed."

"Well, she is."

"I know that now!"

"Why, what did she do?"

"I went to a party with her and Sam and Ry, but I didn't drink anything. But Karee took me into a bedroom and kissed me and tried to say all this stuff like, 'I'm better than Kari!' or something…then I just pushed her off of me. But this morning Sam called me and said Karee told him I slept with her."

He laughed.

"Ugh, why are you laughing?"

"Because that slut has done that with everyone."

I looked at him. I didn't want to tell him, but… "I know you guys dated," I explained, poking at my cereal with my spoon.

"Oh…"

"Some slut, huh?" I smiled.

He smirked. "I dunno. I liked her for a while, but I couldn't just wait forever."

"I thought she slept with someone -"

"I know."

"So…that's what happened?"

"Pretty much."

"So, now you're settled with Sora, right?"

"Mm…yeah." he smiled at me. "So how was the party overall?"

"It sucked."

He looked at me oddly. "Huh? Why?"

I looked back at him. " 'cause I miss Kari…"

------------------

A/N: Oh my God! I did a lot of research on Japanese names, and Takara means treasure. So I made that Karee's name (oh, and by the way, it's pronounced _Carry_), Ryo means excellent. That doesn't suit Ry at all since he's kind of dumb, but still. It's a cool name. and Isamu means bravery, which suits Sam because he's not afraid to say what's on his mind.

Anyway, those are the characters I own in the story, and nothing else (since I forgot to make a disclaimer at the top).

This chapter didn't turn out as good as I thought it would, but still…I'm trying. I worked so hard on it for like sic hours straight. Even ask Bla8, I was working on it at like seven in the evening and now it's one in the morning. Man, I'm over-tired…

So, review, tell me what you liked and what you didn't so chapter three will be even better. Don't be afraid to speak your mind. I don't mind flames. They just improve my story.

Before I'm done, I would just like to say three cheers for not giving up on the story! Hip-hip-hurray!

Alright, end of chapter. I'm getting the fuck to sleep.


	3. New Rules

A/N: Although chapter two took seven **very **exhausting hours straight to write, I promised myself I would never do that again. So, this chapter was a little long at writing. But, honestly, did you see how long of an update it was from chapter one to two? Quite a damn while. Anyway, here's three.

_**Chapter Three: New Rules**_

Sam called me later that week. I was surprised, seeming as he thought I slept with my brother's ex-girlfriend.

"Me and Ry are hanging out, wanna come?"

I paused for a moment. Not only did he just call me, but he wanted me to _hang out_ with him and Ry. I remembered what Matt said, about them drinking and smoking. They clearly weren't a good crowd to get involved with. And Sam telling me about Ry sleeping with Karee, and the fact that they're even friends with her made me wonder. So, what else could I say than,

"Alright. Come pick me up."

They came a short time after, and I shifted my eyes at the car pulling into the parking lot. I walked slowly to the door, wondering if we were going to drink. I hoped not, but somehow I wanted Sam and Ry to like me. I wanted them to become friends with me, or see me as "cool". I didn't know how, but something about them that made me happy.

Maybe it was something to do with them being older than me. Or them being popular. Or them looking at me and not judging me for a complete goody-goody.

I never liked the thought of caring what other people think, but…

The horn honked. I hurried faster, until I heard Matt call my name. I turned around sharply.

"Matt? I don't even know you were home!"

"I can home late." he raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

"Out with Sam and Ry. I'll be back later tonight."

He smirked. "Be careful."

I rolled my eyes and walked out the door. I hated when Matt told me that, seeing as he was just as bad as Ry and Sam were. I mean, Matt has smoked, and he drinks all of the time. What gave him the right to bash on them?

I hopped into the backseats of Ry's car. I was excited to hang out with them again, and overjoyed that Karee wasn't coming.

"Where we going?" I asked them.

Both of them shrugged.

"Cruisin' or something." Ry answered.

I nodded. "We aren't…picking up Karee, are we?"

Ry seemed clueless, and looked over to Sam for help. I wasn't sure if Ry knew what happened between me and her. However, Sam shook his head quickly. "Nah. Relax, man. You seem tense."

"Is it really four o'clock?" Ry sighed. "Feels like six. What time does the party start? Eight, was it?"

Oh great, I thought. Another party. Another reason to think about drinking again.

------------------------

We spent the afternoon driving around, and we even stopped at McDonald's. Before I knew it, eight o'clock came, and we were on our way to the party. I was nervous. I mean, I didn't even know where we were going, or what time we would be getting home. I hoped to God that I wouldn't drink.

"Hey! Sam and Ry are here!" someone shouted from the front porch.

"Hey," Sam waved.

Ry nodded his head, greeting him. "Sup?"

"Who's this?"

"Ishida's brother." Ry replied. "Don't worry he's cool. TK, this is Jeff."

"Man," Jeff laughed. "I'm already completely wasted. There isn't many people here yet, but Karee is here. Stoned as hell."

Karee? I felt a pit in my stomach.

"Let's get inside!" Sam cried, rushing to the door. "Free liquor! Awh, man, this is fucking sweet!"

I shyly followed with Ry walking with me. Sam threw us both a bottle of Smirn Off. Why was it always that kind?

"There's smokes downstairs," someone told Ry as him and I walked by.

Ry stopped. "Sam, Teeks and me are going to the basement."

"Okay!"

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't smoke."

"Not cigarettes, joints."

Oh God. Even worse.

Somehow he still managed to make me follow him. I sheepishly made my way down the stairs, staying close to Ry. I was so nervous, I thought I was going to trip and tumble the whole way down. _That_ would have been embarrassing.

The room was filled with smoke. I don't think I could breath right.

"Uh…" I muttered, looking at everyone laughing. "I think I'm gonna get Sam down here." I lied.

"Okay. He doesn't wanna miss this!"

"Oh," I laughed. "I'm sure no one would."

I rushed upstairs, running into Sam. I was overjoyed. "Sam! I was just about to go looking for you."

He looked at me with shock. "You didn't even take a drink of that yet?"

"Um, not yet."

"Chug it."

I eyed him suspiciously. "I couldn't. I'd probably puke."

He laughed. "That would be hilarious! Come on, man, just chug that baby. It'll get you right tripped out. Then we could go down to the basement."

I shook my head. "I don't think you understand…"

Suddenly, Sam took my bottle and opened the cap. He shoved it to me, demandingly. "If you don't take it, you're _not_ an Ishida. Come on! What's the worst that could happen? Honestly."

I felt it again. The same feeling from when Davis pressured me into drinking. He feeling of being trapped in a corner by a thousand people. The feeling that told me if I didn't drink, I would be known as a loser forever.

That being said, I took the neck and placed it on my lips, swallowing the liquid. It was gross, but I continued chugging it anyway. I heard Sam cheer and shout. Suddenly, tons of voices cheered for me as well. I liked the attention.

"He really _is_ Yamato's brother!" a girl yelled.

Suddenly, it was empty. I threw it onto the floor.

Sam stared at me blankly. "You chugged a whole pint of Smirn Off in _one_ chug? Jesus, look at this kid!"

I smiled, feeling dizzy. I suddenly couldn't walk. But I wanted more. I wanted more attention, more to drink, and more of that careless feeling.

"Take me downstairs," I ordered Sam, grabbing another pint.

------------------------

I don't remember anything else from that night. When I look back, thinking on it, I keep think: _You're so damn stupid!_

I surprisingly didn't have much of a hangover the next morning. I wondered why. The clock said it was two in the afternoon, making me feel awkward. I usually wasn't one to sleep in late. I decided to see if Matt was home.

While walking out of my bedroom door, I felt heavy hands on my shoulders.

"You little shit!"

Turns out, Matt _was_ home.

"What? What did I do?"

Matt looked at me with an angry expression. "Do you _know_ what you did last night? You were as drunk and as high as hell, TK! That's so unlike you! I had to help you the entire night! Then you started yelling at me! I mean, that was a dick move, Teeks. Real dick move."

"I…" I shook my head. "…don't remember that. I don't even remember coming home."

"You took a taxi with Ry and Sam. Ry had to walk you up here, you were so wasted. Then I packed you with water, to make sure you were fine this morning. I'm guessing it worked, since you don't look like you're hung-over or anything."

"Wait - I was high?"

He nodded.

I rubbed my eyes. "Oh God…oh God, TK… We got into a fight?"

"Yeah, you started yelling at me and told me to shut up for once. Just because I was telling you that you shouldn't have drank so much."

"Oh…sorry, Matt."

He smirked. "You're an ass when you're drunk."

"And you're a weirdo when you are."

------------------------

On August third, I needed to go out for a run. It was a week since the big party.

I only saw my dad twice in that week. It was so weird. And I didn't see my mom since I left the house.

Once escaping from the apartment building, I almost passed out from the heat. I realized before running, I had to get some water. Then I decided I would stop at a gas station. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

I was walking when a horn honked, and a car pulled over. It was Ry's. I sheepishly waved, noticing he wanted me to get in the car with him. I shrugged and jumped into the passenger's seat. I wondered to myself if it would be awkward without Sam to keep up conversation.

"Hey man," he greeted.

"What are you doing?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Cruising, I guess. Have you heard from Sam lately at all? He told me he hasn't talk to you since the party."

"Yeah…"

"You were _trashed_!" he laughed. "You're just like Ishida when you're drinking."

I did _not_ need to hear that. Matt was such a jerk when he was wasted, thinking everyone is stupid. He thought he was on top of the world, and that everyone needed to love him. Basically, he was super cocky.

"I'm that bad?" I muttered.

He gave me a stunned look. "Not bad. Just self-centered. No offence."

So I _am_ like him. I thought, grinding my teeth. "I don't remember anything from that night. I just remember everyone cheering for me to chug Smirn Off. Everything else was just a blur."

"You were pretty baked, too."

"I know." I gazed out the window. "Hey, mind if we make a stop at the gas station? It's deadly out, and I'll suffer if water doesn't save me."

He nodded and pulled into the parking lots. I noticed he was coming inside with me.

When opening the door and making my way to the drinks, my mind froze. I couldn't think straight. My heart suddenly sank, and I felt a tight pit in my stomach. I needed to sit down. I was nervous, but at the same time, I was excited.

Kari was two meters away from me, eyeing me suspiciously.

"TK?"

"…Kari!"

Her mouth remained opened. I could tell she was shocked. "How…how are you?"

I shrugged. "Can't complain. You?"

"Uh…fine, I guess. Where have you been?"

"No where's really. Are - uh - are you and Davis still together?"

She nodded slowly. "Not official yet. Just on the basics of 'seeing each other'. What about you? Anyone special?"

I needed to look good. I wanted Kari to feel slightly jealous, so that maybe she could remember how she liked me. I shifted my eyes around, trying to think of a name. I couldn't think of one, and I needed someone she didn't know.

"Karee. I guess we're seeing each other, too. I haven't seen her in a few days, though. I'm hoping she'll call me tonight, so that we can go to a party together."

I imagined Matt telling me I did nicely. I smiled in glory, seeing her look confused.

"You still go to parties?"

I nodded. "Occasionally."

"Uh-huh," she mumbled.

"Hey, TK," I heard Ry call from a little away. "Can you hurry? I'm in need of a smoke right now."

Kari raised her eyebrow at me. "Smoke? You hang out with smokers?" she shook her head. "TK, I sure hope you don't smoke cigarettes now…"

I shook my head quickly. "No way!"

I think my fast reaction made her unconvinced. _Oh God! _my mind shouted. _That couldn't have made me look too good!_

"Um…just Ry does. But he's not all that heavy with it. He's just under a little bit of stress. You know, trying to find a university and stuff…"

"Oh,"

"But I gotta go." I smiled. "Good to see you."

She shrugged. "See you around."

------------------------

After my awkward encounter with Kari, and waiting for Ry to finish a quick cigarette, we returned to his car.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Kari. Uh, old friend."

"Hmm…" he raised his eyebrows. "She's cute. Not hot or amazingly gorgeous, but cute."

I nodded. "I know."

"You into her?"

I gazed at him, confused. Somehow, Ry and Sam could read me like Davis and Matt never could. "I used to be, but then we stopped talking. I don't know, she's with someone else, and…" my voice trailed off.

He nodded slowly, understanding every word. However, I didn't really think I was convincing him.

"I know what you mean."

"You do?"

He nodded again. "Karee. When I first met her, I thought she was stunning. _Stunning_. I told her I liked her during a party, and I guess we had this…thing. We started kissing, then one thing led to another and…anyway, I thought she was actually into me, but ended up using me for an easy lay. I'm not saying this chick did that to you, I'm saying I know how weird girls can be. And I know what it's like to be hurt."

Ry's story changed my opinion about him. I always thought he was so much different from Sam, tough and emotionless. But I was wrong. It was clear he had many feelings, and unlike Sam, he was easy to relate to.

Sam was a nice guy, probably one of the most easy-going person I've met, but Ry had this different side that I think no one else saw. Maybe Sam did, which was probably why they were so close. But with Ry, you had to win an approval with him. Though once you did, he was such a great guy.

"I think…" I sighed. "I think by seeing Kari, it reminded me of how much I missed her, and how much I hate not talking to her."

"Yeah."

"But…I told her I had a girlfriend."

His eyes went wide. "Really?"

I nodded. "I told her it was Karee. I don't know what I was thinking! I was wondering if I could get her jealous or something, but I doubt it worked."

"If you want to make her real angry, you could go to a party with Karee, and make sure she's there."

"Kari's not really the…party girl."

The thought of Kari even _being_ in the parties I was recently attending was funny. I pictured her lecturing everybody, telling them drinking under aged and smoking weed was not a good lifestyle. I smirked.

"Is she a goody-goody?"

I shrugged. "I guess you can say that. She got mad at me for drinking a while ago, and we haven't really talked since."

"What?" he laughed out loud. "Does she know you drink with me and Sam all the time?"

"No, but I'm sure I'd never hear the end of it if she ever found out."

He nodded. "Dated a girl like that before. I'm telling 'ya, man, bad idea. It really didn't go down too well. She was a cutie, but…" he shook his head. "I don't do well in relationships. They want a commitment, and I want a party. It's different with you, though."

"How?"

"You actually like this girl. You've probably known her for a while. Teeks, I don't know if you know this, but you're a smart kid. Not like me, but a lot like Sam. You both can see things from different angles, and different point of views. And as for this Kari chick, you still have a chance with her. The first thing Karee said to me when she saw you was that you're more attractive than Matt."

My face put on a shocked expression. "_Really?_"

Suddenly, a ring came from his pocket. Once stopping at a red light, Ry flipped his cell phone opened. After minutes of discussion, he closed it, then turned to me. "Up for some serious partyin'?"

------------------------

The party was like any other I went to. I drank a little, but made sure I didn't overdo it. Unfortunately, it's safe to say I was drunk. Luckily, I didn't smoke. When I came home, however, there was a surprise waiting for me. As I opened the door, I heard a voice that made me jump.

"TK, where have you been?!"

Looking up shamefully, I recognized my father's face looking at me with anger. He was sitting at the kitchen table, looking tired and stressed. The clock told me it was well passed midnight, and well passed my curfew.

Shit, I thought, slouching against the wall.

"Well?" he added a few moments later.

"Out."

He blinked. "Where?"

"At a friend's. I'm going to bed, though, I -"

"TK, I was worried sick!" he stormed. "I came home at ten, expecting to see you and your brother in bed or something. Then both of you are missing, and keep me worried out of my skin! What were you thinking staying out so long? And now I have to wait for your brother."

While saying that, he stood up, getting closer to me. I knew my breath smelt like liquor, so I tried my hardest to keep my mouth shut.

"I hope you weren't like this to your mother…"

I shook my head quickly. I was polite with my mom, always considering her feelings, always wondering if she was thinking of me. I never missed my curfew, or anything that broke any sort of rules. But suddenly, while living with my dad, it opened so much freedom for me.

Except now, of course.

"Honestly, did you think I just wouldn't notice you were missing?!"

I shook my head again.

"TK, why aren't you responding?"

"I'm tired," I replied, trying to be as quiet as I could. I even tried to inhale while talking, however, I don't think it was working out too well.

He was silent for what seemed like forever. He raised an eyebrow, showing the same expression as Matt does when he isn't convinced. It was on rare occasions when I see similarities between Dad and Matt.

"Have…" he shook his head quickly, as if to force himself to finish the sentence. "Have you been _drinking_?!"

I felt my eyes grow wide. "No! Dad, I don't drink!"

Suddenly, the door beside me swung opened. Then, with his eyes blood shot, Matt smiled at me.

"Did you see me at the party? We were -" he noticed our father staring at him with a furious expression. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

I slapped my forehead. Me and Matt were in some serious shit, and I think he was just too wasted to realize it. Dad's face was red from anger. I could tell Matt was a little stoned as well, and I think Dad knew that.

I sighed and wondered how long it would be before I could see sunlight again.

------------------------

A/N: Ohh, TK…

I thought this chapter showed a little more, and made things a little less confusing. I think I left Sam and Karee out of the picture, though, even though they were at the weed-smoking party. I should have made her involved…oh well! Tell me your thoughts about it!

And stay tuned for the next chapter, when school starts! Are TK and Kari going to talk? Will they become friends again? Ouu, tension is high!

Okay, I need some sleep. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!


	4. New Grade

A/N: I suck at updates…so sue me. Since in the first chapter I mentioned TK was in grade ten, he's now in grade eleven.

_**Chapter Four: New Grade**_

I had it a lot easier than Matt, since I wasn't drinking as much. Plus, he was clearly smoking _something_. You should have seen him that morning, with his eyes red and looking as hung-over as ever.

Dad kept me at home for a long time. A week and a half, actually. All I could do was sit around and eat, and I couldn't even use the phone. The only communication I had was Matt, who was twice as miserable than I was. He was grounded for longer than me.

On the fifteenth of August, I was packing up to moving back with my mom. Dad said something about this only being because I felt like I was "unattached" from her. It was planned for me to move on the twentieth.

One day, while my dad was busy at work, I snuck a call with Ry.

"Man, where have you _been_?" he asked.

"My old man busted me after that party a while ago." I replied. "Listen, I can't leave this place for another five days. I can't even talk to anyone until then. So, I'll give you a call."

"Good deal."

------------------------

Moving day was here. I wondered if my mother would be happy to see me or if she would be disappointed in my "decisions". I decided I'd find out once I'd get there.

"Takeru!" she cried, encountering me with a tight hug.

Okay, I thought, smiling. It was the first option.

"I missed you so much!" she whispered in my ear. It made me smile even more, just because I missed her, too. I guess it's called being a Mamma's Boy.

She helped me unpack, and thankfully, she didn't mention anything about the drinking business. I knew she'd feel uncomfortable about the whole thing, and I knew she would pretend like she had no idea about it. But that was fine with me.

I guess she _really_ pretended, because she asked me if I wanted to go out with Kari for the evening or something. I was officially ungrounded, and it felt good.

"Yeah, sure," I told her, picking up the phone. It wouldn't be Kari I called.

"Man!" Ry shouted in my ear. "Come over…now."

I laughed. "Come pick me up…now." I mocked. "Hey, but no partying for a while, okay? I really don't wanna go through the whole 'not leaving the house' thing again."

"Sure,"

I hung up, and within a few minutes, his car came up the driveway. He wasn't with Sam, but I didn't worry too much about that. I didn't really see Sam that much. Since the weed-smoking party, really.

"So what's up with Ishida?" he asked me as soon as I hopped in.

"He's dead. Dad caught him smoking grass."

Ry laughed. "Good ol' Yamato." he then sighed. "I guess no drinking for you tonight, huh?"

"Nah."

"Shitty. Wanna head over for some ice-cream instead?"

------------------------

I had no idea Ry was such a blast to hang out with, even if your plans didn't involve partying, drinking, smoking, or all three. We just talked or goofed around.

For the next few week, I went to three parties, got drunk three times, but didn't smoke anything. I came home on time, and my mom was sleeping all three nights once I arrived. I guess I was just lucky, since she thought I was a good boy that I've always been.

I had many one-on-ones with Ry. I think I got along with him a lot better than Sam, but I don't know why. Maybe it was because I could tell Ry anything, and he'd still think I was cool for some high schooler. Or maybe it was because I was Matt's little brother. But I kind of figured it was based on the fact that Ry was a lot like Matt, so I already knew everything that bugged him and stuff.

On Labour Day, the last day of summer, I hung out with Ry and Sam. We went cruising, driving for no real purpose, and just talked.

Unfortunately, the next day was my first day of grade eleven. I wasn't looking forward to going to school with people I haven't seen in a while, and people I haven't talked to all summer. It was like I had no friends anymore.

I saw Kari and Davis walking, holding hands, and I nearly gagged. It was so weird to see them hanging out together like a couple. A heavy feeling sat in my chest as I saw her, wearing her green school uniform, yet never looking better. I guess she grew since I ran into her a month ago.

Wow…was it really a month ago?

She half-heartedly smiled at me, then passed by me.

"TK!"

I turned around, only to get trampled by Yolei. Smiling, I hugged her back.

"What have you been doing all summer?"

Partying, I thought, but answered, "Hanging around."

"Davis and Kari, did you hear?"

I rolled my eyes. "I heard all right. Did they make it 'official' yet? Or just…" I shivered. "…seeing each other?"

"It's official." she announced. "Cute, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah, real cute."

I knew Yolei spotted my jealousy, but she didn't say anything about it. That was one of the things I liked about her; she knew when to say something and when not to.

"Where's everyone else?"

Oh wait, I thought, there _isn't_ anyone else.

My first two classes were biology and math. There wasn't anything unusual with them; no one I knew were in them. In English, though, something a little unexpected happened. I was placed in the back corner of the classroom, and…

"Hikari Yagami? You'll be placed beside Takeru."

My eyes went wide, and I think I was blushing. She slowly walked to the desk next to her and sat. I could tell this was going to be a little bit awkward.

After a few minutes of silence, I smiled and said in a cheerful voice, "Great seeing you, Kari! You seemed flattered to see me!"

Of course, I was being sarcastic. She had a disappointed look on her face. She ignored me, anyway.

Rolling my eyes, I wondered how she could _still_ be mad at me. That was two freakin' months ago! She got mad because I drank one time, and her boyfriend did, too! For the first time in my life, I really couldn't understand her. I mean, I knew I was being an asshole, but she was being a bitch.

That was the first time I'd ever thought that. I guess there _is_ a first time for everything.

"How's Karee?" she asked suddenly.

I had not a clue in the world what she was talking about at first, then I remembered I had told her she was someone I was dating. Why did I tell her that? my mind demanded. Oh…yeah. To make her jealous.

When she asked me, though, she didn't sound jealous at all, just curious.

"She's good," I decided to say. "She isn't going to school this year…she's taking the year off. I mean, she _does_ have a scholarship…"

"How old is she?"

"Same age as Matt."

When I said that, I realized how bad I was looking. Dating someone that older than me? What was I _thinking_? That just made me look like I was dating someone who couldn't find anyone else her age?

"Oh," Kari muttered, unimpressed.

I shrugged it off. "How's Davis?"

She laughed. "Being Davis, I guess. When he asked me to be his girlfriend, he was so nervous."

"But then he did it."

"Yeah,"

"And you said yes."

"Mm-hmm." Then she said, "The four of us should go out sometime," which made me feel noxious.

"Sure," I replied.

------------------------

I needed to talk to Karee. Meeting Kari and Davis with her would totally take Kari off the edge. Karee was good-looking, after all. I wondered if she'd be up for something like that. I hoped so, anyway.

And, by being the inner idiot I am, I had actually made plans with Kari. I needed Karee free on Saturday night.

_Why could you just say _next_ Saturday? _my mind kept screaming.

As soon as I came home from school, I called Ry's cell phone number. He had to answer. He didn't have school. He went to evening classes from Monday to Friday, and during the daytime he really didn't do anything. He _had_ to be there!

"Hello?" he answered, making my chest feel a hell of a lot better.

"I made a mistake," I simply told him.

He laughed. "Go figure, Ishida. What's up? Whatcha do?"

"You know that girl we saw a while ago? The one I…uh…you know…like, I guess?"

"Mm-hmm. What of her?"

I sat on my bed. "I told her that Karee and me would go out with her and her boyfriend on Saturday night. Why'd I have to say that?!"

"Well," He sighed. "Karee's going to a party with me and Sam that night. I gotta an idea, though. Maybe you can convince her to go, _then _go to the party and meet me there. If you bought her liquor, she'd do it."

"Really?"

"Trust me, I know Karee."

"Do you have a number or something? Actually…could you ask her for me?"

"Sure, man. And for fuck's sake, quit doing stuff like this!" he cried jokingly, making me laugh. Ry was a good buddy.

"Seeya later then," I said. "And I owe you a million."

"I take cash," he replied, hanging up.

------------------------

Davis called me later that week. I swear if he came to see me at the apartment I would have strangled him.

"Hey, KT!" he shouted, making my ear ache.

"Hi, Davis,"

"So, we're goin' out Saturday night with our girls?" he asked, stating the obvious.

I was about to say, "Nah, we're taking boys," using my sarcasm I picked up from Matt. But I said, "Yeah. Did Kari tell you where we're meeting?"

He told me the restaurant name, and I wrote it down. After that I suddenly realized I didn't have a car. It wouldn't look too lovely to show up in a taxi or something. I made a quick call to Matt, telling him I'd give him money if I could borrow the car. It worked good.

Speaking of phones, before I was going out with Matt for a small reunion, Karee called me.

"Hey, TK," she said in a sassy voice.

"Um…hi, Karee."

"You need me to act?" she asked, suddenly sounding excited.

"If you don't want to, you don't have to," I made that part clear. I didn't want her to be doing something like that and not know what to do.

"Believe me, I've done it before,"

I felt better after that. She'd know how to act, what to say…

"You wanna make her jealous, right?"

"Uh…" I answered honestly, "Yeah. But don't make it obvious, 'kay, Karee?"

"No problem," She laughed. "I know just what to say. She _is_ a goody-goody, right? I mean, a non-partier and such?"

I guess Ry had told her more than I thought he would.

"Yeah, I guess you can say that."

"Are we dressing up for this? Should I wear plain clothes, dress? What?"

I looked at the address Davis gave me. Kari told me it was a fancy place. "Yup. What time should I pick you up? We're meeting them at six-thirty."

"Quarter to six,"

Not sure she heard me right, I asked, "What are we doing for forty-five minutes?"

"Planning," she replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Seeya there," I told her, hanging up the phone.

Saturday night wasn't a night I was looking forward to. Something was going to go wrong. Something was going to happen. Something wasn't something I'll like. Something…just something won't fit.

And, I was right.

------------------------

Mom wasn't supportive of me going out. Especially when I asked her for some money. She ordered me, "Takeru, you aren't going to buy liquor with that,"

"Obviously not," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Well, it's just…ever since you started living with your father and Yamato, you seem to be acting strangely."

I sighed. "Don't worry, Mom. I'm going out with Kari."

"Yagami?" she asked excitedly. "Oh, I haven't seen her in ages? How is she?"

"Fine,"

She started smiling, asking, "Is a date?"

Double date, I thought dryly. "No, Mom. Bye,"

I hurried out of there before anymore questions. But, in my victory, I had thirty dollars. Half for Karee's share and half in my dinner. I made sure she'd pay for her own meal. Okay, so it was a cheap deal, but she _did_ agree with it.

Anyway, I picked her up a little later than I was supposed to. She didn't seem to care, or even noticed, really.

"Trust me, TK," she assured me, smiling, "I know just what to do."

I wasn't all that assured. What if she did a mistake? What if Kari figured out we were planning this to make her jealous? Would she get even more mad at me?

I sighed, relaxing myself.

------------------------

Davis's arm around Kari's shoulder bothered me. I couldn't stop looking at the scene. I was thinking, We already know you're dating! You don't need to brag…

I shouldn't have talked--or…thought--my arm was tightly around Karee's shoulder as well.

"So, Kari," Karee started conversation politely, "TK tells me you have a brother?"

"Yeah. Tai Yagami,"

Karee smiled. "I know Tai. He's a goofy guy." Then, unexpectedly, she whispered in my ear, "It's working…"

To me, it seemed to be a whole waste of time. Kari and Davis were together, smiling at each other, and the thought of Kari just dating him to get me mad was gone. She really did like him. She really did enjoy dating him. It made me sick.

"I'm going to the little girl's room," Karee announced, standing up. "Be right back, 'kay?"

When she left, Davis smiled at me. "She seems pretty good for you," he told me.

"She's great," I caught myself saying. "The first time I met her, I knew we'd click. And I was right. I'm just so happy I'm with her. Don't you guys feel the same way? I mean, it should be this way for everyone."

"It is," Kari replied in a tone I don't recall hearing before. "So…what school did Karee attend?"

"High school?" I asked stupidly.

"Mm-hmm,"

I should know this, I thought, shifting my eyes. I don't think anyone ever told me. "Same one as Matt and Tai,"

It seemed right to me. That's how she knew Matt, and Ry had gone to that high school. I was pretty sure Sam did, too. That would be how Karee knew Tai. It really seemed like a decent answer to me. It had to be right!

"Is her hair naturally like that?" Kari asked.

"Yep."

"How did you two meet?" She was just full of questions.

"She thought I was Matt when she first saw me. Started yelling his name at me. Funny, huh?"

Karee came back with a smile. "What'd I miss?"

"I love your hair," Kari commented nicely. She was always polite. "Is it natural? I asked TK, but he didn't seem sure."

"Oh, God no! I dyed it a while back. I straighten it and curl it sometimes. If my hair was always like this, I'd make myself a trophy."

Kari smiled, almost laughing. "It _is_ really pretty,"

"Thanks…"

"Trying out for basketball this year, TJ?" Davis switched the topic. I wondered when he'd _ever_ get my name right.

"TJ?" Karee asked. I laughed.

"I might. Are you?"

"Which high school did you go to?" Kari interrupted. Suddenly I was catching onto her little game.

Karee shifted her eyes. "The one across the bridge. I know Sam through a cousin, so I met Ry and Matt through him. Then I met Tai at a party once. He sure knows how to dance, doesn't he?"

Kari laughed. "Well, how did you two meet? Through Matt?"

"Kinda," I put in. "We--"

"Funny story," my fake girlfriend smiled, saying, "I was walking down the street, minding my own business, when suddenly I hear someone yell out to me. I turn around, struck dumb, when TK pushes me out of the way from a city bus. It seems like a movie moment or something, but it really did happen."

"TK, will you ever grow up?" Kari asked me slowly, standing up, storming out the door. Davis chased after her, but after I pushed him out of the way, he seem to slow down. That was good.

I caught Kari and spun her around. "Kari…" I muttered, "I'm sorry. This is--"

"What's wrong with you?" she snapped. "What happened to you? Who was that girl? Why did you _do_ that?"

"That was one of Matt's friends," I sighed. "You know why I did that, Kari. And I know why you're dating Davis."

She was really getting mad. I'd never seen her so furious. "TK! What are you talking about?!"

"You're just dating him to get me jealous! I drank at a party such a long time ago, and you just can't get over it! Seriously, Kari, Davis was drinking there, too!"

"You think I'm trying to get you _jealous_?! TK, I'm not mad at you for drinking at that party, and I'm sure not dating Davis because I don't want to."

"Really? Do you _love_ him or something?" I asked, sarcastic.

"I'm mad at you because you're changing!" She pushed me. "You're not the TK I remember! You're turning into Matt, and you don't even realize it! You're partying until you can't handle it, and you expect me to still wait for you?"

"Kari, I just…I…"

"TK, whatever you say, I won't listen."

I took her hands and kissed her softly. It wasn't really what I pictured our first kiss to be like or anything, but it still made me happy to have her in my arms.

But I didn't force her. She could have pushed me away and spat on me if she wanted to, or she could have kept going and fell in love with me. I was just going along with the moment rather than what would happen afterwards.

To my surprise, and my confusion, she didn't move. She was still kissing me for a few seconds, then shoved me away, yelling my name, insulted.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't ever speak to me again!" she ordered, walking away.

I felt lousy. I turned around and started to head towards Matt's car when I bumped into Davis. Well, I guess I deserved that smack he gave me. I felt my cheek swelling afterwards, but I couldn't focus on anything else rather than being so stupid.

Kari hated me. She had never been more upset with me. How could I have not seen it? She was completely right! Her voice rang through my mind:

"_You're turning into Matt, and you don't even realize it!"_


End file.
